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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Hants, Berks and Surrey Borders (1 Viewer)

Ooooh, if only I could get over my intense dislike of the New Forest...

Fleet Pond today was the quietest I've ever seen it. Only a few pairs of mallards, although maybe 40 great crested grebes. Quite a lot of cormorants and a single female widgeon that was being harassed by a mallard. Quite some number of great spotted woodpeckers, some looked like they were scrapping over territory.
Did find an obliging robin which posed for some nice shots as well as a juvenile grebe that didn't seem too bothered by me, but that was about it.
 
Hmm, thats a bit of a trek. Think ill give it a miss. Thanks for the info tho. I guess ill wait until it lands in my garden!
 
J Moss came over yesterday, and luckliy the Dartford warblers were showing nicely on Yateley Common South, as were the many stonechats. There were mipits in abundance, sometimes flock of 15+, but only one possible woodlark. Interestingly, even though it's some way to the nearest open water, three or four reed buntings were about on the heath. There were also ~20 linnets in a flock and a few more singles.
Over on the North side, a very large tit flock, also with a few chaffinches thrown in, which isn't very common over that side. A male kestrel also turned up, but not an awful lot else. It's only over the road from the South side, yet there are almost no stonechats or Dartfords. Or much else, really.
A quick trip up to the River Blackwater gave us another tit flock, heard a kingfisher peep-peeping up the river (but out of sight below the bank) and a female grey wagtail.
Then on to Moor Green Lakes where there were several pochards, teal, widgeon, shoveler, tufties and a few Egyptian geese on Colebrook Lake. Over on the new workings were a pile of lapwings and a few more Canada geese.
Not too shabby, at least the birds were showing.
 
I agree. Twas a realy good day. Great to see the Dartford Warblers, especially. It would be interesting to hear what people think of the Reed Buntings. we saw winter males and some 1st winters (I think). Tony, have you ever seen them before on the pool on the North side?

Thanks for the tour

J Moss
 
Crag Martin at my patch - Tices Meadow briefly at 13.45 today sparked a twitch. Loadsa nutters frantically looking for the bird in atrocious conditions, myself included! Needless to say I dipped!

Cheers,

John.
 
Hadn't noticed them before, but there were ~50 pied wagtails outside the Marlands Mall in Camberley yesterday at the Boots/Lloyd's entrance in the tree there. At least 25 on the WMC roof and the other 25 is only a rough guess as to how many were in the tree, let alone those flying about. Seemed to be congregating at dusk.
Not as good as the ~180 at Frimley Park Hospital last December (they kick you out of the maternity ward for two hours each afternoon and there's not a lot else to do...), but not bad.
 
Afternoon at Farlington Marsh

Spent the afternoon at Farlington marsh today. Got there around 1pm. The weather was overcast, with a fairly strong wind. Not ideal, especially considering the tripod on my scope is rubbish. Isnt usually too much of a problem though. i like to try and sit or kneel when i'm using the scope cos the tripod is about 2 inches too short for me.
The birds I was aiming to see today were the Black Necked Grebes, which have been seen regularly, but I have yet so see, and I also hoped to get a good view of a Merlin, if one was present. The Lake held the usual wildfowl; Pintails , Wigeon , Shoveler , Teal, Mallards and a few Brent Geese, as well as a few waders; one Avocet , Oystercatchers , Grey Plovers , Lapwings ,Dunlin ,Redshank , Black-Tailed Godwits and Snipe. There were probablly also Green and Spotted Redshank as well, but my scope gives such a dull image that it was difficult to scan through the flocks, especially with the wind.
On the water surrounding the marshes there were hundreds of Brents present, with a few Shellduck and Great Crested Grebes dotted around. Grey Plovers , Dunlin , Knot , Curlew , Oystercatchers ,Turnstones and Ringed Plovers occupied the few islands not submerged by the tide. The flocks were pretty spectacular, although I doubt they have reached there largest. A few Greenshank were present in the flocks.
In the Point Fields, and in the hedgerows around most of the reserve were the usual Stonechats , Starlings , Wrens , Robins , Blackbirds , Meadow Pipits , Gold Finches , Green Finches and Carrion Crows . Also saw a single Rock Pipit just off the sea wall. Little Egrets and Grey Herons were present on the fields as usual, as well as Canada Geese , and large numbers of Cormorants were perched on the islands to the East of the reserve, along with the usuals.
A walk to the far North-East of the reserve finally produced the elusive Black-Necked Grebe . A pair were present at a fair distance, not giving great views. It was around 4pm by this time, so the day was getting pretty dull, but I was still pleased.
A Kestrel was present for the whole afternoon, mostly being mobbed by Mippets, and a Fox was hanging around the pond behing the visitors centre. A big flock of gulls, comprising Black-Headed , Common and Herring, had congregated on the river by this time. Walking back to the car, fairly large flocks of Pied Wagtails were moving overhead.
So, all in all, not a bad afternoon. Dont think I missed anything in this report. 41 species in total (ish), and a lifer, in the Black Necked Grebes |:D|
 
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Oh, almost forgot some of the better birds of the day; 4 Red Brested Meregansers and (drumroll please) WOODPIGEONS! How could I forget! Thats 43 species for the day.
 
Staines Reservoir is good for black-necked grebes, usually half a dozen each winter, although I completely missed them last time I was there...
There's seven there now on the North side (there's a bank across the middle) according to the Surrey Bird Club site.
I'll have to get the parents to take me down to Farlington at some point soon, but I only get an hour there before they start whining they're hungry or thirsty or something...
 
Would your parents rather wander round Gunwarf or something? If so, I could meet you somewhere and do the lap with you. You really need about 3 hours to get the most out of it.
 
JohnnyH said:
Anyone know how to find the hide at Vyne Floods? Went down this afternoon with my 10yr old daughter to go for the Pec Sand that was reported on Birdguides. I parked in the NT car park & then walked back down the road looking for a public footpath which we eventually found. This led us across two fields, past a farm, & reached a small footbridge over a stream. No hide was visable in any direction, so we decided to call it a day, bit of a wild goose chase! :storm: If any N.Hants birders reading this can enlighten me I'd be most grateful.

Cheers,

John.

I know its too late now but if you need to know going forward then directions are as below:

You need to actually go into the NT place (they charge you 50p!!!) and then walk through gate and diagonally across the sheep field. This takes you to the wood where you turn left and then right, follow path to hide.
There is also a way in from the back of Morganston Woods but I'd need a OS map to describe that.
 
Allen said:
I know its too late now but if you need to know going forward then directions are as below:

You need to actually go into the NT place (they charge you 50p!!!) and then walk through gate and diagonally across the sheep field. This takes you to the wood where you turn left and then right, follow path to hide.
There is also a way in from the back of Morganston Woods but I'd need a OS map to describe that.

Ok,thanks for that Allen, from the grid ref on Birdguides it seemed to suggest the hide was to the West of the NT ho hum!
On another subject, was that you I met at the Crag Martin twitch last weekend looking for the bird at Baggy lea pond?

Cheers,

John.
 
JohnnyH said:
Ok,thanks for that Allen, from the grid ref on Birdguides it seemed to suggest the hide was to the West of the NT ho hum!
On another subject, was that you I met at the Crag Martin twitch last weekend looking for the bird at Baggy lea pond?

Cheers,

John.

If you were the chap at Badshot Lea lake with the 4x4 and the children who then went to check out the Manor Park lake then yes I was the other chap (not the one who took your mobile #) who then went and had a bedraggled search at Fleet Pond!!!!!
 
Another visit to Farlington Marsh today. Got there about 10:30ish. Bitterly cold, and a cloudless sky. I wasnt really dressed for it, which was a massive put-off and my heart wasnt really in it at first.

The first lap of the place didnt really produce anything different to what I saw on the first visit (post #89), except 2+ Bar Tailed Godwits, 2+GBB Gulls and a Mute Swan on the pond on the East of the reserve.

It was about 12:30 now and I was thinking of heading home, but as I was getting in the car, I noticed a large bird of prey soaring in the distance. Thought it was a Buzzard, but it soared lower and lower, until it was gliding just above the reed beds, Marsh Harrier-style, and I could clearly i.d. it as a 2nd Autumn male Marsh Harrier (according to Collins) with a cream face, but clearly the starts of dark primaries. It hung around for a while, once landing in a field, but then dissapearing. This convinced me to stay a little longer.

A second lap of the reserve proved worthwhile, as it produced a pair of Merlins (one perched and another hunting Sparrowhawk-style about 3 metres right past me!), 2+ Reed Buntings, and another view of the returning Marsh Harrier.

All in all, a good days birding

J Moss
 
~70 wood pigeons - but flying North...
Very quiet about today - very few tits about, although many more BHGs on the Sandhurst Balancing Pond.
Oh, what excitement...
 
Spent Friday morning, (my day off), down at Hayling looking unsucessfully for the Dusky Warbler, although got a very nice Short Eared Owl as compensation. Back at the patch this afternoon, no sign of any Winter Thrushes yet, but Wigeon numbers increasing on Tongham GP as is the Gull roost. Nice GS Woodie in Aldershot park too.

Cheers,

John.
 
Hi JohnnyH,

where on Hayling did you visit. Wouldn't mind having a look for the BN Grebes and Knot (and SE Owl maybe).

Thanks

Today on Farlington Marsh; the usuals plus:

1 Female Goldeneye
11 Red Brested Meregansers
13 [/B]Avocets
1 Spotted Redshank
1 Merlin
3 very showy, squabling Water Rails
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Black Brant (still havent found it without having it pointed out to me)
1 Common Scoter (I think I saw it)
10+ Snipe
1 Cettis Warbler. Have been 'hunting' their calls for a while now bur never actually seen the bird behind the noise. Finally seen flying between reed beds.
2 Reed buntings

Also saw a seal pop its head up when the tide was in.

J Moss
 
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